Definition

1. Noun:

   • A return to a former or less developed state: "regress" refers to the act of going back to an earlier, often worse, condition or stage.
   • The reasoning process of working backward from a conclusion to its premises: In logic, "regress" describes a type of argument that moves from a conclusion to the evidence that supports it.

2. Verb:

   • To return to a former or less developed state: To go back to a previous, often less advanced or less desirable condition.
   • To return to a pattern of bad behavior: To fall back into previous negative habits or criminal activity.
   • To move backward: To go back physically or chronologically.
   • To return to a statistical mean: In statistics, for a variable to move back toward its average value.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The patient's health showed a worrying regress.
  • His argument was based on an infinite regress, which made it logically unsound.

• Verb:

  • Without constant practice, a language learner can easily regress.
  • The therapy aims to ensure patients do not regress to their old habits.
  • The planet appears to regress in its orbit from our perspective.
  • After an unusually high score, his performance is expected to regress toward the mean.

Advanced Usage

• "Infinite regress": A sequence of reasoning or justification that can never come to an end.

  • The question of what created the creator leads to an infinite regress.

• "Regress to the mean": A statistical phenomenon where an extreme measurement is likely to be followed by one closer to the average.

  • The company's exceptional profits last year were an outlier; they will probably regress to the mean this quarter.

Variants and Related Words

• Regression (n): The act of regressing; a statistical method for modeling relationships between variables.

  • The child's regression in behavior was a concern for the parents.
  • Linear regression is a common statistical tool.

• Regressive (adj): Tending to regress; returning to a less advanced state. (In economics/taxation) Taking a proportionally greater amount from low-income earners.

  • A regressive policy hinders social progress.
  • A sales tax is often considered a regressive tax.

Synonyms

• Noun: Reversion, retrogression, relapse, backsliding.
• Verb: Revert, relapse, backslide, retrogress, deteriorate, degenerate.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

• Regress to: To return or fall back to a specific state or type of behavior.
  • Under stress, he would regress to childish behavior.

Related Idioms

• "Regress into childhood/shell": To return to a state of childlike dependence or timidity.
  • After the traumatic event, she seemed to regress into her shell.

Noun

1. returning to a former state
2. the reasoning involved when you assume the conclusion is true and reason backward to the evidence

Verb

1. go back to bad behavior
   • Those who recidivate are often minor criminals
2. get worse or fall back to a previous condition
3. go back to a previous state
   • We reverted to the old rules
4. go back to a statistical means